After pollination, bunches are often tied to
the leaf stalks to support the weight of the
fruit. Fruit thinning is sometimes practiced
in date cultivation. Fruit thinning is used to
decrease alternate bearing, increase fruit size,
improve fruit quality, advance fruit ripening,
and facilitate bunch management. Fruit thinning
can be carried out three ways: removal
of entire bunches, reduction in the number
of strands per bunch, and reduction in the
number of fruit per strand. Cultivar, climate,
and cultural practices influence the appropriate
levels of fruit thinning. Bunches of dates
are usually covered (bagged) in the United
States with brown craft paper, white paper,
or cotton or nylon mesh bags. Bagging can
protect fruit bunches from high humidity
and rain, minimize damage from sunburn,
and decrease losses from birds (Nixon and
Carpenter, 1978; Zaid and de Wet, 2002c).